The Canadian Bat Microbiome Project

蝙蝠是自然和农业生态系统中的关键物种。它们为加拿大的农业、林业和人类健康提供价值数十亿美元的基本服务。然而，它们的生存正受到各种自然和人为因素的威胁，包括正在进行的白鼻症(WNS)大流行，自2006年以来，该大流行已导致北美数百万只蝙蝠死亡，并蔓延至8个省(艾伯塔省和不列颠哥伦比亚省除外)。最近的研究发现，蝙蝠微生物群可能在寄主对WNS的易感性中起着重要作用。然而，目前人们对加拿大蝙蝠的微生物群知之甚少。在这个拟议的项目中，我们采取了多学科的方法来调查加拿大各地物种水平以下和物种以上的蝙蝠之间微生物群变异的模式和机制。此外，我们计划从加拿大不同蝙蝠和不同地区分离和鉴定有益微生物，这些微生物可以开发成宿主和地理区域特定的益生菌，以提高蝙蝠对抗WNS的存活率。为了实现这些目标，我们组建了一个跨学科的团队，拥有微生物学、兽医学、蝙蝠生物学、疾病流行病学、生态学和保育方面的专业知识。

Bats are keystone species in natural and agricultural ecosystems. They provide essential services to agriculture, forestry, and human health worthy of billions of dollars in Canada. However, their very existence is being threatened by a variety of natural and anthropogenic factors, including the ongoing white nose syndrome (WNS) pandemic that has killed millions of bats in North America and spread to eight provinces (except Alberta and BC) since 2006. Recent investigations have identified that the bat microbiome likely plays significant roles in host susceptibility to WNS. However, at present, little is known about the microbiome of Canadian bats. In this proposed project, we take a multi-disciplinary approach to investigate the patterns and mechanisms of microbiome variations among bats at both below and above species levels across Canada. In addition, we plan to isolate and identify beneficial microorganisms from different bats and different regions in Canada that can be developed into host- and geographic region-specific probiotics to enhance the survival of bats against WNS. To achieve the objectives, we have assembled an inter-disciplinary team with expertise in microbiology, veterinary science, bat biology, disease epidemiology, ecology, and conservation.